Arauco Mill Produces First Bale of Pulp on New Production Line in Chile

Arauco's MAPA project included the construction of a new pulp production line (Line 3), major improvements to Line 2, and the closure of Line 1.

Jan. 26, 2023 - Arauco on January 20 produced the first bale of eucalyptus kraft pulp by the new production line (Line 3) at Arauco Mill in southern Chile. The construction of the new production line is part of Arauco's MAPA Project, which also includes major improvements to Line 2 and the closure of Line 1 — the last pulp bale of Line 1 was produced on January 3, 2022.

According to Valmet, the process of feeding and loading wood chips into the digester of Line 3 began on December 29, which started the initial step of producing pulp on the new production line.

"The MAPA project investment is undoubtedly the largest ever made by the forestry sector in Chile, and expectations are high in terms of its productive capacity as well as its environmental performance," said Carl Mikael Stal, Sales and Production Manager at Valmet. "For us as a supplier, this makes us put even more effort into boosting our customer's performance."

Valmet has played a key role in the development of the MAPA project, supplying the pulp drying line, which is characterized by its low energy consumption; the recovery boiler, which due to its high power output allows for maximum energy efficiency, and the power boiler, which provides renewable energy to the entire plant; are already in operation and will enable Arauco to further improve its environmental standards.

Valmet said it is also providing a comprehensive Industrial Internet services agreement comprising the use of plant-wide optimization applications, advanced prediction, and monitoring applications, as well as expert services.

Arauco MAPA Project

Arauco's US$2.350 billion project MAPA (Spanish acronym for Modernization and Extension of Arauco Mill project) at Arauco Mill in southern Chile includes the termination of pulp line 1, the modernization of current production line 2 and the construction of a new production line (Line 3), with an annual capacity of 1,560,000 tons, increasing annual pulp production at the complex by an estimated 2,100,000 tons.

Valmet is a leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. With its automation systems and flow control solutions, Valmet serves an even wider base of process industries.

SOURCE: Vamet and Arauco